Before the Jay Wright era, in which Villanova won championships in 2016 and 2018, there was a group of Wildcats who did it all before them. Those were the men who set the standard of what Villanova basketball is today.
Members of the Villanova 1985 National Championship donned blue knit sweaters with an anniversary patch on the left sleeve as they stood in the middle of the Wells Fargo Center during halftime at the Providence game on Jan. 17. The patch symbolized the 40th anniversary of the 1985 championship.
Brian Harrington ‘85 stood at the front of a line filled with legends of the Villanova basketball program. Behind him was R.C. Massimino ‘86, the son of legendary Villanova head coach Rollie Massimino. Harrington led the 1984-85 team onto the court at halftime of Villanova’s contest against Providence. It was a team the 1984-85 squad was familiar with, defeating the Friars twice during their championship season.
“We play for those who came before us,” is a common phrase said by countless players and is embedded in Villanova Athletics’ history. For Villanova basketball today, the members of the 1984-85 roster are some of the people that today’s Wildcats play for.
“They have really helped cement Villanova as one of the best programs in the country,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “We’re honored that they continue to come around and take such pride in the program. We talk about this in our program all the time, we play for them.”
Villanova was an eight-seed in the 1985 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats took down one-seed Georgetown, 66-64, marking the lowest seed to win a National Championship.
It was not an easy task to bring home Villanova basketball’s first-ever championship. At the time, athletes did not have access to to the copious resources Villanova players have today, as the college basketball landscape has changed rapidly over the last 40 years.
Harold Pressley ‘86 remembers fueling his playing career with Taco Bell and McDonald’s.
“They [current student-athletes] have trainers. They have chefs. They have good food,” Pressley said. “I love the game, and how it has evolved with the kids.”

Ed Pinckney ‘85, one of the few who went on to play in the NBA, just wished Villanova had a trainer’s table. Those are the little things that student-athletes of the current generation have easy access to.
“Well, I would have loved to have had a training table,” Pinckney said when asked about the differences in generations. “We didn’t have one.”
Massimino spent 19 seasons coaching the Wildcats. Until Wright took the reins in 2001, Massimino was the most decorated coach in program history. Massimino passed away in 2017 at the age of 82, two years after the 30th anniversary.
“What I loved about coach Massimino is his grittiness mixed with style,” former Wildcat Gary McLain ‘85 said. “By style, I don’t mean clothing. I mean the way that he carried himself, the way that he attacked diversity, the way he attacked problems and coming up with solutions, and thinking outside the box. That commands a certain amount of style and I will always remember that about him.”
While change has happened in college basketball frequently, the humorous personalities of the 1985 team have not. They constantly share laughs and poke fun at one another. Chuck Everson ‘86 created a text message thread for the entire team, which allows them to constantly be in contact.
Villanova is known for its tight-knit community that grants students friendships for the rest of their lives. From lifelong bonds to continued support for the program, the 1985 team is a perfect example of the culture the university strives to create around athletics.
“I feel lucky to have been a part of a university that provides for all of its athletes, and it’s a great place,” Pickney said. “It’s a great school, and it continues to grow. I was in Nebraska just yesterday. I sat next to a gentleman [on the plane back to Philadelphia] whose daughter went to Villanova and he had nothing but good things to say. That says enough about what kind of place it is.”
Paul Romanelli • Jan 24, 2025 at 10:52 am
What an amazing memory. Back in ’85 I was president of the Basketball Club, the rally club that distributed streamers at the games, t-shirts and organized buses to away games. I helped organize the rally in the Field House for the champions. I have had the honor of being at all three Villanova Final Four championships. 1985 was particularly special because three of the four teams in the Final Four were from the Big East Conference. I will never forget it. Paul Romanelli ’85